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Featured Hobby Blog: Bad Wax

Bad Wax is written by Mike Levine and will be celebrating its fourth anniversary in January. The topics covered range from finding under-valued items on eBay to opining about the latest card designs. Two recurring themes that keep collectors coming back for more are Craigslist Idiots and Custom Cards.

The premise of Craigslist Idiots is simple, funny and does something many collectors have thought about. Craigslist is always filled with ads with people selling sports cards. In most cases, these cards all come from the era we all know and loathe as the “junk wax" era of that runs from the late-80s through the mid-90s. In every piece in the series, the seller, with little knowledge about what they are actually trying to sell falls victim to a reality check when Mike engages them in dialogue and a negotiation.

Often a vocal critic of lackluster mainstream card designs, Levine takes it upon himself to create his own trading cards. These often include elaborate cut signature dream cards like those titled "1919 Black Sox" or "Pride of the Yankees." His creativity has opened an untapped revenue stream, as he is willing to sell or even trade for his creations.

Asked what motivates him to continue blogging nearly every day, Mike simply responded by saying, “To voice my thoughts and opinions on the hobby."

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